The Palazzo Antonelli is a building flanking the Largo Magnanapoli in Rome. It was built in the 18th century. When the Via Nazionale had to be built, it was deemed necessary to move the building further back. In the hallway you can see a large block taken from the Wall of Servius Tulius.
Palazzo Antonelli Rome
Address, opening hours, admission
The official address of the Palazzo Antonelli is Via Quattro Novembre, 158 – Rome (district: Trevi). The building cannot be visited.
History Palazzo Antonelli
Before the 18th century, the site was occupied by a number of houses with a piece of land used as a vineyard. The palazzo was built by the Fiorenzi family.
Its present appearance is the result of a construction in the second half of the 19th century. Commissioned by the new owner Luisa Carlotta di Borbone, the architect Andrea Busiri Vici connected the building with several nearby houses.
Still later, the property came into the hands of Cardinal Giacomo Antonelli, Pius IX‘s secretary of state. The Cardinal did not live there himself and only used it to store his collection of precious, 16th century stones and amber.
His heirs gave the building to the Vatican, who leased part of it to the Banca d’Italia.
The Building
The Palazzo Antonelli is characterized by an impressive second floor with portals and windows with perfect semi-circular arches. The windows of the two floors above have architraves, In-between is a mezzanine with more sober windows.
Wall of Servius Tullius
In the hall of the building, a large piece of the Wall of Servius Tullius, probably dating from 87 BC, can be seen It consists of an arch divided into segments of tuff. This is used as access to the stairs. The arch was not used as a door, but as an opening to a room that used to contain a weapon (probably some kind of catapult).